Jes Egan
General Manager at The View From Here
Jes is a General Manager and Operations leader with over twenty years of experience across creative, marketing and technology industries in Australia and the UK. She has spent her career inside agencies and studios of all shapes and sizes, and her greatest passion has always been the people — building teams, championing talent and creating workplaces where everyone feels they belong. Jes shows up as a mentor the same way she shows up as a leader: with genuine care, honesty and a lot of enthusiasm. She believes the right conversation at the right time can change the trajectory of a career, and she can't wait to be part of that journey for the women in this cohort.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I come from a creatively mad family, so finding my way into the creative industry felt completely natural. I have always had a foot firmly in both camps — where creativity and commerce collide — and I truly believe you have to love what you do to get the most out of it, and out of the people around you, and that belief has kept me energised and invested across every role I have held.
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?
I started out with a Communication Design degree, then did what any self-respecting creative does — backpacked my way to London without a folio and figured it out from there. I landed in some of the biggest advertising agencies in the UK, including EHS Brann (London) and McCann Erickson (Manchester), where I cut my teeth in account management and learned what it really means to deliver great work under pressure. When I made my way back to Australia six years later, I landed at Clemenger BBDO — one of the country’s most iconic agencies — before finding my way to one of the first six employees at Linktree before it became the global platform it is today. From there I found my way back to my roots, finishing out in brand and design agencies — leading teams, running businesses and never quite losing that love of the industry that got me on the plane in the first place.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
- Leaders Eat Last – Simon Sinek
- Screw It, Let’s Do It – Richard Branson
- Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitious Women –
Kate Northrup
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- 99% Invisible – Podcast
- Huberman Lab – Podcast
- Guilt – Podcast
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Teamwork
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
My biggest inspiration is giving people the tools and ability to achieve things themselves — that moment when someone finds their confidence, backs themselves and realises what they are truly capable of. I have always believed that the best thing a leader can do is work themselves out of the equation; to set people up so well that they do not need you anymore, without realising they don’t. The beautiful thing is, it goes both ways — watching someone else’s achievements has a way of pushing you further than you ever thought possible yourself.
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
I became a mentor because I know firsthand how much the right person at the right time can shape your path, and I think it is our responsibility to give that back. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can offer is simply being available — to really listen, to hear what someone is saying and to share your perspective honestly. Our experiences, our mistakes and our hard-won lessons are exactly what the next generation can take to shape their own path, hopefully learning from our mistakes.
What are the top 3-5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Collaborative
- Confident
- Intuitive
- Sees potential in others
- Open-minded
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.